USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 97
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F. B. Fillmore was born in Walworth, Wayne county, New York, in the year 1830. He was educated at Wal- worth academy. He being the younger son, remained at home with his father, Honorable Luther Fillmore, and carried on his farm till his death, which was in the year 1854, after which he engaged in farming at different points until the year 1866, when he came to Iowa, locating in this county. He bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Grundy county, which he sold in 1868, and bought the farm of eighty-five acres where he now resides, in Fairbank township. Mr. Fillmore was mar- ried, in the year 1861, to Mrs. Maggie A. Becker, of New York, who was born in Lyons, Wayne county, in 1828. They have no children, but Mrs. Fillmore has a daughter, Emma, by her first husband, Mr. D. M. Becker, Emma is now twenty-seven years of age, and married R. S. Bowen, in 1870. They now reside at Winterset, Iowa. We feel like adding to this sketch in behalf of Mr. Fillmore and lady, that they are very pleasant people indeed, and we should esteem it a pleas-
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
ure to be connected among their neighbors and friends
N. M. Miguet was born in France in 1841. When about five years of age he came to America with his father, John P. Miguet , who located in Dubuque county, where they remained nine years. In the year 1856 they came to Buchanan county and purchased the farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Hazleton township, where N. M. Miguet now resides. Mr. John P. Miguet died March 10, 1880. By his father's will he came into possession of eighty acres of the old homestead. He had previously, and has since, purchased different pieces of land, so that now he owns the round number of four hundred acres. He owns one of the best farms of Bu- chanan county, which, from its location and other nat- ural advantages, is exceedingly desirable. It affords one of the grandest views in the State ; has fine buildings, and is under a state of careful cultivation, and has fruit and shade trees planted, and doing well. Mr. Miguet was married September 17, 1863, to Miss Caroline Long. They have six children: John, aged fourteen years; Ed- ward, aged twelve years; Carrie, aged ten years; Ella, aged seven years; Emma, aged two; boy babe three months old. Mr. Miguet has been a resident of the State for thirty-three years, and of the county twenty- four years. He is one of those men who helped to lay the first lines of Buchanan's successful history, and has, at the same time, been very successful himself.
Mr. Theodore Messenger was born in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1841. At the age of twelve years he moved with his father, George Messen- ger, to the State of Illinois, and located in the northern part of the State, and remained their till the year 1864, when he enlisted in company F, Forty-sixth regiment, Illinois volunteer infantry. He served his country until the war closed, when he returned home and worked at the carpenter's trade. He was married and farmed his father-in-law's place two years, when he came to Iowa in the fall of 1869, and bought the farm of ninety acres on which he now resides, in Hazleton township. He built his house in 1876, and his barn in 1872. His farm is under the finest state of cultivation. He farms with C. H. Miller, and now owns one hundred and sixty acres of Buchanan's best land. It is in splendid condition, has a good house and barn, and every convenience of a num- ber one home. Mr. Messenger was married in 1868, to Miss Caroline High, of Pennsylvania. They have two children: Leonora A., aged twelve years; Octavia Carrie, aged three years. Mr. Messenger has an interesting family, and has reason to feel that the lines have fallen to him in pleasant places.
Mr. T. C. Nelson was born in Wayne county, Ohio, April 27, 1841. At about the age of seven he moved, with his father, William C. Nelson, to Kosciusko county, Indiana, near Warsaw, where they remained about five years, when they came to Hazleton township. Mr. William C. Nelson died in December, 1862, at his home in the village of Hazleton. He was a physician, and practiced seven years in this county. Mr. T. C. Nelson's first exertions for himself were in the capacity of a school teacher, which was when he was only sixteen . years of
age. He followed this avocation for about eighteen years, when he turned his attention to farming principal- ly, which he still continues. Mr. Nelson was married in November, 1858, to Frances E. Sufficool, of this county and township. They have three children living : Arthur L., twenty-one; Charles I., fourteen ; Fred Ellsworth, twelve. Mr. Nelson was married the second time to Louisa Bender, November 4, 1879. They are living up-
on their own farm and in their own home. A coinci- dence that is perhaps more amusing than instructive we beg leave to mention here: That the subject of this sketch, Mr. Thomas C. Nelson, is of the same name with the writer, Thomas C. Nelson, of Ashland county, Ohio. Mr. T. C. Nelson, we are glad to say, is a very intelligent and pleasant man, and we are perfectly will- ing to accept and recognize him as a relative. He is, besides all this, one of those sound Republicans that on- ly a Nelson is capable of being. He enlisted in 1861 in company F, Twelfth lowa volunteer infantry. He was fourth corporal, serving his country about thirteen months, when he was discharged on account of disabili- ty, caused by a gunshot wound in the right hand, which he received at the battle of Shiloh. He was slightly wounded at Fort Donelson, but never off duty from any cause save the time he was wounded. He was in three battles-Fort Henry, Shiloh and Donelson.
Mr. Frederick Zatsch was born in Prussia in 1823. He came to America in 1856; worked in a saw mill in Michigan one year, and came to Iowa in 1857, locating in Independence, where he worked at the carpenter's trade about fifteen years. He bought the fine mill prop- erty where he now resides, one mile south of Hazleton, in 1872. He owns, besides a fine home and a mill, a splendid farm of one hundred acres. Mr. Zatsch is do- ing a splendid business with his mill. It is in perfect running order, and he does splendid work and gives gen- eral satisfaction. Mr. Zatsch was married in 1860 to Miss Augusta Thorman, of German birth, but a resident of Fayette county. They have three children: Clara, twenty; Emma, fourteen; Frederick, nine. They are all living at home, and constitute a happy family. Mr. and Mrs. Zatsch are members of the Lutheran church.
G. W. Phillips was born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, in 1819. At the age of twenty he went to Rock county, Wisconsin, where he lived twenty-five years, engaging in farming and blacksmithing. Came to Iowa in 1863, locating in Fayette county, in the city of West Union, where he engaged in staging about four years ; afterwards run an auction store for a time. He remained in the place about six years. After various changes in busi- ness and residence, covering several years, Mr. Phillips came to Hazleton, January 15, 1880, and purchased a general stock of merchandise, and is doing a good busi- ness. He is one of those wholesouled, genial business men who will always have friends.
Mr. Phillips' first wife, Olive L. Jones, died in Rock county, Wisconsin. His second wife, Lena Carpenter, whom he married at West Union, died in Linn county, at Centre Point, where he married his third wife, Emma Morse, who is still living.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
Mr. Phillips is the father of seven children-four by the first wife, one by the second, and two by the third. This sketch is written on New Year's day, 1881. Mr. Phillips is wide-awake and enjoying himself on the oc- casion.
E. W. Tenney was born in Worcester county, Massa- chusetts, in 1830. At about three years of age he moved with his father, Dr. John W. Tenney, to the town of Webster, where E. W. lived and attended school till about the age of sixteen, when he engaged with a corps of civil engineers, and continued at the business from 1846 to 1852, when he engaged in the mercantile busi- ness about one year. In 1855 he came to Iowa, locating in Old Hazleton, where he engaged in the mercantile business, and followed it up for nineteen years. When the new town of Hazleton sprung up, on account of the railroad, he moved to it and purchased a fine residence, and had lived a retired life till the fall of 1880, when he engaged in the lumber business. Mr. Tenney was married on October 18, 1877, to Miss Lucena F. Haines, formerly of Manchester. They have one child, Lena Luella, aged twenty-two months. They have a pleasant home. Mr. Tenney, as will be seen by the sketch, is one of Buchanan's first settlers. He is one of the county's solid financial men, and one of the State's good, solid Republicans.
H. J. Fourtner was born in Hancock county, Ohio, in 1845. At the age of two he moved with his father, Samuel Fourtner, to Dubuque, Iowa. Lived with his father on the farm and attended school till he wastwenty- one years of age, when he engaged in the threshing busi- ness, and continued at it about sixteen years- he had previously worked at it with his father, making about nineteen years in all. Had in the meantime acquired the trade of repairing watches, clocks and jewelry. Has been a resident of Hazleton township for the past twenty- four years ; moving to New Hazleton in 1876, when the railroad came through. This is the fourth winter he has run a jewelry repairing shop in Hazleton. Mr. Fourtner was married in 1871, to Miss Louisa A. Gutcher, of this county, by whom he has four children; Ida, Edward, Elsie and Zadie.
Dr. William E. Baker was born at Providence, Rhode Island, February 2, 1852. Moved with his parents to La Salle county, Illinois, in 1859; removed from there to Cedar Rapids, in this State, in 1865. Resided with his parents until he commenced the study of medicine under the supervision of Drs. E. L. Mansfield and George P. Carpenter, of Cedar Rapids. He remained with these gentlemen about two years, attending, in the meantime, a full course of lectures at the Ruth Medical college, at Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Baker was married at Cedar Rapids, on the tenth of October, 1876, to Miss Alice E., daughter of M. S. Cheaton, esq., by whom he has one child, a son. At the instance of his medical preceptor, he settled at Hazelton, where he has secured a very large practice for a young man, and has gained the con fidence of the community as a thoroughly skilled physician. Dr. Baker is a Presbyterian in religious belief, and a Republican in politics.
A. H. H. Hitchcock, sr., was born in the State of Con- necticut in 1801. At about the age of eighteen he went to Rochester, New York, where he worked at the mill- wright business for nearly thirty years. In the year 1850 he moved to Walworth, Wisconsin, remaining about seventeen years. Came to Iowa in 1868, locating in Ha- złeton township, where he purchased a farm of one hun- dred and twenty acres and resided till the year 1877, when he moved to the village of Hazleton, occupying the fine residence he had built the year before. He sold his farm on account of poor health. Mr. Hitchcock was married in 1828 to Miss Julia A. Reed, of New York State, who was born in 1805. They have four children living and three deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Hitchcock are members of the Congregational church.
George Hall was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, in 1814. At about the age of nine he moved with his father, William Hall, to Knox county, Ohio, where he resided till he was twenty-four years of age, when he was married to Miss Sarah Hughes, and moved to Holmes county, Ohio, where he bought a farm and lived upon it thirteen years. In the year 1849 he moved to Indiana, and re- mained till the year 1864, when he came to Iowa, locating first in Lynn county, where he remained only about six months, when he got a chance to sell his farm at quite an advance, and bought again in the same county. In the year 1873 he moved to Fairview and kept a hotel about three years, when he bought the farm of eighty acres where he now resides, in Hazleton township. Mr. Hall's first wife died in April, 1862, leaving a family of two children, a son and daughter-William D., who was killed in the battle of Kennesaw Mountain, in the year 1864, July 7th, at the age of twenty-four; Caroline M., married a Method- ist minister, and is residing in Indiana. Mr. Hall was married to his second wife, Rosa Cranmer, in 1863. They have three sons-Robert F., George J., and Sherman ; all living at home and attending school.
George A. Long was born in Wyoming county, Penn- sylvania, in 1843. Came to Iowa in 1855 with his father, J. M. Long, locating in Hazleton township. Lived at home on the farm till he was twenty-four years of age. Attended school altogether in private houses. Bought his father's farm after his death, which occurred in the year 1867. Lived upon his farm till the spring of 1873, when he sold it and purchased a farm in the northwestern part of the township, and farmed it till the spring of 1880, when he sold it and took a trip to Montana and through the far west generally. Travelled with teams al- together. Bought three hundred and twenty acres of fine land in Gallatin Valley mountain; but, on account of his family becoming dissatisfied, he returned via Utah. In September, 1880, he traded his Montana farm for ninety acres, near Hazleton. Bought an interest in the hard- ware business with Miguet & Bunce, the firm name read- ing Miguet, Long & Co. They are a good, solid firm, and doing a good business. Mr. Long was married in 1868 to Miss Laura Kindle, of Indiana. Have children -Sylvia E., aged nine; Bertha J., seven; Ulvia C., two; they are a nice, wide-awake little family. Mr. Long is one of Buchanan's enterprising business men.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
H. Miguet was born in Hazleton township, this county, in 1857. Lived on the farm with his father, F. Miguet, and attended school till he was nineteen years of age, when he went to college at Keokuk, Iowa, remaining five months. Bought a half interest in the hardware business with Mr. Bunce, in Hazleton, January 14, 1878. Decem- ber 3d they took Mr. George A. Long in as third partner. Mr. Miguet still lives in the enjoyment of single blessed- ness. Though he is a younger man than would naturally be expected to be engaged in as heavy a business as he is, yet he is very proficient and capable.
Dr. B. M. Corbin was born in Bourbon county, Ken- tucky, in 1817. At about the age of sixteen he moved with his father, Daniel Corbin, to the State of Indiana, where he spent his best days. Dr. Corbin commenced the practice of medicine in Milton, Indiana, in 1848. Came to Iowa in 1864, and located in Hazleton, where he still resides and practices. Dr. Corbin was married, in 1872, to Mrs. Eliza J. Aubrey, of Iowa. He bought the property where he now resides when he first came to
Iowa, but built his house in 1870. It is indeed a fine residence. The doctor received his medical education in the Ohio Medical college, at Cincinnati, Ohio. Grad- uated and received his diploma in 1851. The doctor has been practicing ever since coming to Iowa, and has taken rank as a leading physician in the county.
O. M. Bunce was born in Williams county, Ohio, in 1848. Came to Iowa with his father, William Bunce, in the fall of 1849, locating in Linn county. He made his father's house his home, and attended school till he was twenty-one years old, when he engaged in the grain bus- iness in Hazleton, continuing at it about eighteen months. In the year 1877 he engaged with C. Whiteman in the mercantile business, remaining with him about eighteen months. In October, 1876, Mr. O. M. Bunce and W. H. Hunnington purchased a stock of hardware of Mr. Whiteman. They continued business together for about one year, when M. H. Miguet bought Hunnington out, and continues as Mr. Bunce's partner still. Mr. Bunce was married In February, 1870, to Miss Julia Allen, of this county. Mr. Bunce, as will be seen by this sketch, has been interested in Buchanan's welfare since a boy ; has watched its progress, and at the same time watched his own interests, so that now he is in possession of a fine business and a good home.
Samuel Sufficool was born in Stark county, Ohio, in the town of Canton, January 4, 1822. At the age of eleven he moved with his father, Isaac Sufficool, to Por- tage county, where they resided about three years, then moved to Williams county where they made their home for about nine years. Samuel Sufficool came to Iowa in 1845, stopping one year in Lima county and purchasing the land where Mt. Vernon now stands. He sold this land and came to Buchanan county in 1846, locating in Hazleton township; D. C. Greeley accompanying him, they being the first and only white men in the township. Mr. Greeley died about twenty-five years ago, leaving Sufficool the only land mark of the township's early ex- istence. It was a wild, wierd place then; now it is the scene of so many happy and contented homes. Then it
took the bravest of men with the stoutest of hearts to oc- cupy the land; and now the little child is perfectly safe in the midst of kind neighbors and friends. Mr. Suffi- cool's first purchase of land was the one hundred and sixty acres which Mr. Henry Coy now owns, north of old Hazleton. He bought a half section where he now resides, in the year 1860. He has since made different purchases of land, till now he owns five hundred and eighty-eight acres all told. He built his fine residence in the summer of 1876. Mr. Sufficool was married June 6, 1858, to Miss Lydia M. Prettyman, daughter of a Methodist minister. She was born in Williams county, Ohio, May 30, 1834. Her early life was spent in Ohio, largely engaged in teaching. She came to Iowa in 1857 on a visit, at which time she became acquainted with Mr. Sufficool. They have two daughters-Phrenie, age twenty-one, and Ida, age nineteen-two very pleasant and intelligent young ladies.
Jabe M. Watson was born in the State of New York September 8, 1847. At about the age of seven he came to Iowa with his father, David Watson, locating in Hazle- ton township. Mr. J. M. Watson made his home with his father till the spring of 1880, when he moved upon the eighty acres where he resides, in section twenty-three. Mr. Watson was married March 4, 1880, to Miss Alice Woeman, who was born in this county April 16, 1862. As will be seen by this sketch, Mr. Watson is one of the pioneers of the county. They came with scarcely enough to commence farming with, but by their united industry and frugality they have in all three hundred and forty acres of as good land as there is in the county, illustrating what pluck and energy can do. Mr. Watson has a young orchard and shade trees planted, so that in a few years he will have every want of a western home supplied.
Jacob Kiefer was born in Portage county, Ohio, in 1842. At about the age of four years he moved with his father, Ceorge Kiefer, to the State of Indiana, where they made their home twenty-two years; came to Iowa February 2, 1870, and bought the farm of eighty acres where he resides, in section thirty-six, Hazleton township. He built his house in 1875. He has his farm under good cultivation, and has fruit and shade trees planted. He enlisted in company F, Forty-eighth Indiana in- fantry, in October, 1861. He served his country nearly four years. He served out the time of the first enlist- ment and immediately reenlisted. At Huntsville, Ala- bama he was wounded and taken prisoner. He went to help put down the Rebellion and came home with his work accomplished. Mr. Kiefer was married in 1865 to Miss Lydia Russell, who was born January 30, 1845, in Indiana. They have four children-Flora A., George Willis, Harvey Eugene, and Amos Clenton. Mr. and Mrs. Kiefer are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Kiefer is a good, sound Republican.
Augustus Hurlbut was born in Chittenden county, Vermont, in ISII. At the age of twenty-three he went to Huron county, Ohio, remaining in that State twenty years, engaged in farming principally. In the fall of 1852 he came to Iowa, and bought a half-section in Ha-
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
leton township, of which he sold all but one hundred and twenty acres where he now resides; also owns a small farm in Wisconsin, Richland county. Mr. Hurl- but was married March 15, 1836, to Miss Margaret Pierson, who was born in Pennsylvania, Washington county, October 7, 1811, and died October 8, 1876. He has two children living and two deceased. Sarah E. is married and resides in California. Wilton W. is mar- ried and lives in Kansas. When Mr. Hurlbut moved into Hazleton, only nine families were in the township. He has been one of the driving-wheels of its prosperity ; and is one of its sound Republicans.
James E. Friars was born in the province of New Brunswick, December 16, 1830. At about the age of sixteen he commenced to do for himself, by engaging in farming in partnership with his two brothers, Arthur and Christopher. When about twenty-five years old, he went to Maine and engaged in the lumber business on Mach- ias river about five years. In June, 1860, he came to lowa, locating in Hazleton township. The first season he spent as a hired hand on a farm. The second season he farmed a place on shares, and continued on this plan six years, then purchased the eighty acres where he now resides, in section twenty-six. About the year 1870 he bought another eighty in section twenty-four. He has a beautiful farm indeed ; plenty of shade and fruit trees and every convenience of a western home. Of late years he turns his attention almost wholly to stock rais- ing and dairying, having on hand one hundred and seven head of stock all told, fifty head being cattle. Mr. Fri- ars was married September 4, 1859, to Josephine E. Smith, who was born in Maine November 6, 1841. They have four children: Quinton E., aged twenty; Roswell E., eighteen; Stella E., sixteen; and Louis E., ten. They lost a little daughter, Cora E., May 5, 1874, at the age of five years and ten months. The death of the little daughter was a sad event in the history of the fam- ily. She started to school full of bright anticipations and wonder as to what her first day at school would be like, when an ill-fated prairie fire came near the school- house, and she, child like, struck with its beauty, acci- dentally set her clothes on fire. Upon discovering this, she started toward the house, but this only added fury to the flames, which burned her so terribly that she only lived about six hours afterwards. She was the family pet and the idol of her friends-a bright little flower, still missed in the family circle. They also lost a little daughter, Nellie E., on the twenty-fourth day of August, 1878, aged two years and three months.
Orin Moe was born in Lorain county, Ohio, in 1843. When about eighteen months of age he moved with his father, Edwin Moe, to Racine county, Wisconsin, where he resided till he was twenty-one years of age. Septem- ber 3, 1864, he enlisted in company H, First Wisconsin heavy artillery, and served till the close of the war, and was mustered out at Milwaukee about the tenth of July, 1865. After his army life was over, he returned to Wis- consin and engaged in farming two years, then came to Iowa and purchased the farm of eighty acres where he resides, in section thirty-four, Hazleton township. He
also owns fifteen acres of timber in section twenty-seven, same township. Farming is his principal business, though also engaged in stock raising and dairy. Mr. Moe was married November 15, 1865, to Lucinda M. Clark, who was born in the State of New York August 2, 1846. They have six children: Lennie C., Allan S., Clifford O., Zelia L., Edwin N., Ray W., born March 27, 1880, and Roy S., a twin of the latter, died July 14, 1880. Mr. Moe was assessor in 1878-79.
Edward Hillman was born in Germany, in the year 1840. Came to the United States in April, 1866, locat- ing first in Dubuque. In 1873 he purchased the one hundred and twenty acres where he now resides in Ha- zleton township. Has since purchased fifty acres, making in all one hundred and seventy acres of as good land as lies out of doors. Built his house in September, 1879, and it is indeed a fine farm residence. Mr. Hillman was married February, 1869, to Miss Mary K. Bletsch, born in Germany in the year 1847. They have three children: Freddie, Gustavus, and Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Hillman are members of the Catholic church.
James A. Spear was born in Essex county, New York, February 16, 1849. At about the age of eight he went with his father, Alden Spear, to Wisconsin, where they remained about six months, when they came to Iowa, locating in Hazleton township. Mr. James A. Spear commenced to do for himself in 1871. Bought the farm of two hundred acres where he resides in sections twelve and thirteen, Hazleton township, in 1874, and built his house the same year. It is situated in a natural grove of about twenty acres. Has fruit trees bearing, and his farm under good cultivation. Mr. Spear was married September 14, 1870, to Miss Adda Watson, born Febru- ary 24, 1850, in Fairfield county, Ohio. Mr. Spear is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
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